Kiss Me
by She-Poe
Summary: Kiss me beneath the milky twilight, lead me out on the moonlit floor with your open hand.  Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance the silver moon's sparkling.  So kiss me.
1. All I Want to Do

I am on a mission... To write drabbles for every song on my cell phone. Lotsa fluff, so be warned. The first one is based on All I Want To Do, by Sugarland. Give it a listen if you're interested in the realm of country music.

**All I Want to Do**

The days after the comet and before Zuko's coronation were the lazy, long days of summer that most kids annually enjoy. The group spent some time on Ember Island, sleepily wasting away the days. It had been so long since Katara was actually able sleep in in a warm bed. She heard a light knock on her bedroom door. "Time to wake up," a familiar deep voice broke through her dreams.

"No," she said into her pillow. "Make me." There, she thought, that oughtta get rid of him. To her surprise, she heard her bedroom door open, then someone sat on her bed. It was probably Sokka, just trying to bug her. Seriously... Zuko wouldn't... would he? No, she decided quickly. Just as she was starting to drift back into dream, someone poked her forhead. Annoyed, she cracked her blue eyes open, only to find a pair of gold ones staring right back at her. "Get out!" She squealed, swatting her open hand at him as she rolled over.

"What's wrong?" He asked, a smile breaking over his lips. "Does this bother you?" He poked her again, this time on her cheek right under her right eye.

"Yes. It does." Katara replied, grabbing his hand angrily. "You drive me crazy sometimes. You know that, right?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

With a sigh, she answered him. "Not neccissarily." A few silent moments passed, then without warning, Katara sat up and tackled Zuko. They landed with a thud on the dark maroon carpet; she was stradling his stomach. "That was for coming into my bedroom... without my permission." He tried to push her off of him, but she pinned his arms to the floor. It hit her then how awkward this would look if someone were to see them now; her on top of him, blankets falling off of the bed and half wrapped around them. "We're not finished here." She bent down and kissed his lips shakily. "And that," she whispered, pulling away from him. "Was for saving my life. Thank you."

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**So, what did you think of this little drabble thinggy? Yes, its short. But that's what a DRABBLE is! And again, the song is All I Want to Do by Sugarland.**

**~She Poe**


	2. Almost Lover

**Almost Lover**

She stood on the dock and watched his ship leave. There was a sinking feeling in her chest, like all was lost.

"Please, don't leave." Her mind had screamed it so many times, but the words never found their way to her lips. And now, as she felt him being ripped away, she regretted not saying anything.

_A month ago: They had been fighting again. Words so sharp they almost drew blood. "Why don't you go kiss your boyfriend?" He'd said, throwing his arm toward Aang. "You'd rather be doing that now." There was something in his voice when he said that, then. It wasn't anger, but more of a sadness._

Katara laughed in her mind. "Truth is," she muttered. "I'd rather argue with you than kiss anybody else."

_Three weeks ago: The night was silent. With everybody sleeping soundly, she thought that she could cry in peace. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. She felt someone touch her bare shoulder where her sleeve had slipped down. Her eyes flicked to him, and breifly studied his face- tender and almost understanding- before wrapping her arms around him and letting her tears out._

Her skin prickled as she remembered his touch. It had been so warm, soothing.

_Fifteen days ago: They sat together on the beach, watching the palmtrees sway; her hand placed nervously on top of his._

She touched her necklace lightly. Trying to look away from the ship, she found that she couldn't take her eyes away.

_A week ago: She heard him laugh as he danced with her. They spun in circles in the living room. Suddenly, her foot caught the edge of the maroon rug that laid in the middle of the floor. They both fell onto the couch, faces within inches of each other. Neither of them could find the courage to close the gap the way they both wanted._

He stood on the deck of the ship, watching her. She could feel his eyes. She almost reached out to him, but withdrew her hand realizing that no amount of reaching could pull him back to her.

_A day ago: She woke up in his arms after falling asleep with him on the couch. She'd given him a shy smile and a quiet "Good morning." It was a good thing that they always seemed to be the last ones to fall asleep and the first ones to wake. At least they could have some way of being in each other's presence._

Sokka called her name. Their ship was ready. She pretended not to hear him.

_An hour ago: He handed her a small black box. Inside was a tiny crystal figurine of a rose. He had seen her looking at the roses in the garden. She hugged him tightly, trying not to cry; then she hit him. She had nothing to give him in return._

She turned her back to the ship leaving for the north, and borded her's, leaving for the south. Even if they traveled in two different directions, the earth was round, therefore, they would meet again. Or so she told herself.

_Ten minutes ago: He held her face in his hands lovingly. She didn't want him to leave her. She never wanted him to leave her. He'd promised her that they would see each other again. Before she could open her mouth to say or do anything, he kissed her lips. "I have to go," he said, breaking away from her curtly. She wanted to grab him by the arm, ask him for more... but she didn't dare say a word. Instead, she just watched him go. And she kept watching._

Katara held the crystal rose in her hands gently. As she looked at it longingly, the box it was given to her in drew her attention. there was something else inside; a piece of parchment. In practiced script was written a single word: _Almost. "_Goodbye, Zuko." She whispered into her hand.

_***&*&*&*&**_

**Mkay, so the italicized are things that happened in the past that Katara is remembering. Yep. So. What didja think?? Review or I shall send my evil minions after you. They consist of Joe Jonas, the Palm Pre Lady, Mona Lisa, Stewie Griffin, and that creepy hobo that lives in the Wal-Mart parking lot.**

**We will find you.**

**~She Poe**


	3. Apologize

**Apologize**

He didn't like it when they fought. He never liked it when he fought with her. It didn't hit him why he fought with her until he saw that lightening heading straight at her. What he felt then was more than just the pain of electricity flowing through him. For the breif moment that he saw her eyes, his heart stopped. He knew that he had to protect her.

He felt stupid for jumping infront of her, now he couldn't move to help her. _She's alive_. That was the only thought in his mind as he closed his eyes in pain. _She's alive. _When he opened them again, cool hands were pressed to his stomach, her blue eyes were full of tears but she was smiling at him. "Why?" She asked. He couldn't tell her why. She belonged to Aang. He knew that.

****

He watched as they stood on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon, looking out over the town below them. The young monk kissed her. It was then that he realized it was too late to apologize. She was lost forever.

But to his suprise, she pulled away from him flustered. She started walking his way. A smile graced her lips as she stood in front of him. "I'm sorry." They said in unison. She wrapped him in a hug, then lightly kissed the scar on his cheek.

***&*&*&*&**

**Mkay, the OneRepublic version of Apologize is on my cell phone. ONEREPUBLIC RULES!**

**~She Poe**


	4. Big Girls Don't Cry

**Big Girls Don't Cry**

She wouldn't cry. She had promised herself that much. Their adventures were over, and they could go home. But she didn't want to leave. She would not miss him. No. Only children missed people. She was no child.

She sat alone on the beach, determined not to show any weakness. Everyother princess had her fairytale ending. Why not her? Zuko sat down beside her and opened his mouth to speak. "It was an arranged marraige." He whispered. "I don't love her."

"Why are you telling me this?" Katara asked, her throat tight. _I _will not_ cry. I will _not _cry._

"You know why." He rested his hand on her arm lightly. She looked at him, her vision starting to blur. "I'm so sorry," he said.

He stood up to leave but she couldn't let him go. She followed him up and grabbed his wrist. "I love you." His eyes looked into her's as he gently tilted her head upward with a brush of his hand. And he kissed her. Only then did a tear slip out of her eye. She lifted her hands to the back of his head to hold him there. She wasn't a child, but she knew she was acting like one.

_***&*&*&*&**_

**Review Please!**

**Song is Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie**

**~She Poe**


	5. Bleeding Love

**Bleeding Love**

"I'm in love with him..." Katara admitted to herself as she looked into the shard of broken mirror that she held in her hand. "But he isn't in love with me." She remembered how he looked at her. It was the same way Sokka looked at her. In his eyes she was nothing but a little girl that needed to be protected. They all looked at her that way. Every single one of them. Haru looked at her that way, but he also seemed afraid of her. Jet looked at her that way, but there was something about his cold black eyes that chilled her. Aang looked at her that way, but he also looked up to her (Litterally). And Zuko looked at her that way. The only one she ever gave a damn about looked at her like she was a child. She knew that she was no child. But he didn't. And that's why she decided to do this.

She'd been leaving little hints. Mentioning her broken mirror, seven years of bad luck, that she might as well end it now. No one paid any attention to them. Katara could see that much. If anybody knew her well enough, they would have tried to stop her. Nobody came. Nobody...

Zuko stood in the living room with his back resting against the wall. Katara had been acting so strange lately. She seemed to be sad, depressed even, and this worried him deeply. She was a very strong young woman, he knew that, and he also knew that she was somewhat volitile. He raqued his brain. Had she said anything to him? Had she done something that could possibly tell him what was going on? Suddenly, it dawned on him. _"Oh my god, just hug me you idiot!...Seven years of bad luck; might as well end it now." _He yelled her name in his mind and ran to her bedroom.

The shard was pressed firmly to the skin on her wrist. Her eyes closed. She breathed in and bit her bottom lip. Her toes curled inside her shoes. Just as the sharp edge of the glass drew blood, her bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall. The glass fell from her hand as he pinned her to the wall and pressed his lips to her's roughly. Her blood dripped down her arm as she raised her hands to his face. "Damn it, Katara. Don't be stupid," he muttered before kissing her again, this time with more passion. Why the _hell _did he wait so long?

"Don't do this because you feel sorry for me." She breathed.

"I'm not." He assured her.

"Don't do this because you just want a piece of ass."

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

"I love you."

"Do you know what people would say?"

"I don't care."

She felt right when he said that. Why did she ever think that taking her own life would solve anything? How could she win in this crazy messed up game that they called life if she wasn't even a player? There was so much love flowing through her that she could have sworn that she was bleeding love.

_***&*&*&*&**_

**So, review or I will send my minions after you. You know who they are. And they **_**will **_**find you. No matter what country you live in. *Please note that this is not a death threat***

**~She Poe**


	6. Barriers

**Barriers**

"Katara, please talk to me!" He pleaded, his eyes following her around the room. Why was it that everytime he tried to apologize to her, she was so unforgiving?

"No!" She said. She met his gaze angrily. The look in her eyes was of pure hatred. Quick as lightening, she raised her hand to slap him. And even quicker, he grabbed her and pressed her against the wall.

"Is this the only way I can get through to you?" Zuko asked hotly. She was so infuriating- frusterating, intriguing, beautiful. Closing his eyes, he kissed her lips roughly. A muffled gasp escaped Katara's mouth, but she suddenly realized that she liked this. Even though it burned, she relaxed into his kiss. It suddenly occured to Zuko what they were doing and he pulled away from her clumsily. "I give up," he whispered and turned to walk away.

"Stop!" Katara called after him. "I- I can't pretend that I didn't feel something. But there are just too many things keeping us... from being anything other than what we are now. Aang- Mai; what would they do? No one would except us. You don't think that I've thought this over? I can't tell you how many nights I've fallen asleep trying to find a way! There are just too many--"

Turning back to look at her, Zuko noticed that she was crying. She'd been holding this in for so long, and so had he. "Barriers?" He finished for her. He had been searching for the right word since the day he first saw her.

***&*&*&*&*&**

**O.o Rawr. Who doesn't L.o.v.e Archie!?**

**Oh, hey, You wanna play a game??? First reviewer to get to 1,000 points gets a oneshot dedicated to them. The very first reviewer to this FF gets 100 points. Second gets 50 and third gets 25.**


	7. Call Your Name

**Call Your Name**

The air around him smelled like the ocean. So much so, infact, that he swore he could taste the salt hanging in the air. He was lying on his back looking up at the stars, thinking. So many thoughts were running through his mind right now that he didn't know where to begin. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? She was like a nightmare that wouldn't end, not even when he was awake. "Zuko!" Suddenly, he sat up, his heels digging into the sand; that had sounded a lot like-- "Zuko, its me!" Yep, it was her. She sprinted across the beach, her long brown hair flying out behind her like a flag.

"What's wrong?" He asked, walking up to her and grabbing her by the forearms.

"My arms!" Removing his hands quickly, he discoved,horrified, that her skin was burning. "What did you do to me?" Katara screeched.

"I-I'm sorry!" He tried to say, but she had disappeared into a pile of ash at his feet.

***

"Katara!" Zuko yelled, sitting upright in bed. His heart was pounding in his chest painfully. He looked around the room for a moment; the house on Ember Island? Almost in the exact moment that his eyes swept across the door, it opened and she walked in.

"Hey, I'm right here," she whispered, sitting lightly on the bed. Her blue eyes met his carefully. "Are you alright, Zuko? You look like you've lost your best friend."

"It was just a nightmare. I know I sound like child, but I don't want it to come true."

"Nightmares aren't real," Katara whispered, resting her hand on his bare shoulder. The contact made him shiver.

"I know."

"You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day. We've got a lot of packing to do. Goodnight." She stood up to leave the room but felt a firm grip on her wrist. Turning around to look at him, she found she couldn't help herself; without the slightest hesitation, the waterbender kissed the fire Prince full on the lips. In that kiss, she told him everything that she couldn't find the words to say. Her fingers tangled in his jet black hair as she pressed her mouth to his again. "No!" She gasped, jumping away from him.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked defensively.

With tears in her eyes, the girl answered; "You. And me. We can't... we can't do this. I'm sorry." He watched as she fell apart, unsure weather or not to try and comfort her. "You never said- you never said that it would be this hard."

"What?" He asked, reaching a hand out to her.

"Loving you."

_***&*&*&*&*&*&**_

**Now wasn't that just sweet!??! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! **

**Call Your Name by Daughtry**

**~She Poe**


	8. Save You

_Okayz, so, I stayed at my friend's house last night (June 16) and I woke up at like nine this morning. she didn't get up til eleven, so I had like two hours to do nothing but think. And so this drabble was conceived! __Note__: I was searching my music for songs that went with the plot (If you'd call it a plot) and "Save You" SANG by Colton Rudloff seemed to fit the best._

**Save You**

She hadn't been sleeping well lately. Any one could see that. He noticed that she would smile when Aang was around, but as soon as Aang left, she would rub her temples tiredly. She was staying apart from the group, more quiet than normal. She didn't even care to yell at him anymore... and that was what worried him.

He found her late one night, leaning against one of the trees behind his family's house on Ember Island. Her eyes were cast down at her lap, focused intently on her hands. He stood on the veranda and watched her for a while, wondering if she knew he was there. "Mind if I join you?" He asked quietly. Katara glanced at him, her eyes blank and clouded. Taking that as an "I don't care", Zuko sat down beside her in the grass and rested his shoulders against the tree trunk. After a few moments, he asked; "Can I ask you something?" Again, the only response came from her eyes. This time though, she looked at him for a long silence, the moon reflecting off of the blue in her eyes. "Why do you hate me?"

Katara turned her head away from him and sighed. She plucked a piece of grass from the ground beside her, studying it closely she replied; "I don't hate you. I'm just not myself right now..." her voice trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, looking up at the stars.

She looked him over for a moment, eyes trying to memorize every little detail about him. "You can't tell anyone," Katara started. Zuko's eyes met her's and a quick shudder of fear was sent through him. "Promise?" He nodded silently. Katara sighed again, and closed her eyes. "Lately, I've been so... scared. I'm scared of this battle. I'm scared of Aang not being able to do what he has to do; of losing someone I care about... of you."

"Why are you afraid of me?"

"After all we've been through, after all this time, I still have night mares. You hit me. You... burn me. Yell at me... Turn against us at the last minute. Kill us all." Ashamed of herself for dreaming such things, Katara couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Zuko stared at her. How could she still feel that way? "Katara..." He started in a whisper. "As much as you frustrate me, infuriate me, make me want to hit my head against a wall- I would never do anything to hurt you." He felt her tense as he rested his hand on her forearm.

"I know," Katara admitted, her voice pained. "In Ba Sing Se..."

"I know-" Zuko interjected. He knew what she was going to say; that she had never been able to fully trust him after that. She was going to tell him that he was wrong for doing what he did.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have let Aang drag me away like that."

"I didn't deserve your help... or your kindness for that matter. I still don't."

Katara sat up straight, and turned to look at his face. "Don't say that. You've given up everything just to do what's right. And I really respect you for that. I don't think I would ever be able to do what you've done. Honestly, you're the most honorable person I know." She could see the pain in his eyes as reached his hand up to his face. "Why do you still doubt?" She asked, grabbing his hand.

"It's alright..." he whispered. His fingers trailed down to her wrist and encircled it gently. He brought her hand to his face, both sets of lips parting slightly.

She rested her finger tips on his scar just like she had so long ago in the underground city in Ba Sing Se; but this time, she felt more than pure sympathy pour into her. She felt compassion and understanding course through her veins. A sudden guilt cut into her, stinging worse than any burn she ever received had. Then, when she looked into his eyes, another feeling came over her. It was calm and subtle, yet burning and ferocious all at the same time. This was a feeling she thought that she should get only when she was kissing Aang... but now she was feeling it toward _Zuko_, just by touching him. "Why do you close your eyes when I touch you?" she whispered, taking her fingers from his face.

"Because when I'm with you, I know I don't have to have my guard up. And I can relax. And because I don't think that I can look at someone as beautiful as you without thinking-" Zuko looked down at his lap sadly, brushing his fingertips over his scar.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Katara asked, pink spreading slowly over her cheeks. Zuko smiled and laughed at her embarrassment but nodded carefully, making sure she knew what he meant. "Can I hug you?"

Again, he chuckled. "Sure," he said holding his arms out to her.

She rested her head on his chest lightly and closed her eyes. "You have a strong heart..." she murmured, burying her face into his shirt. Awkwardly, Zuko placed his hands on her back. This earned a small sigh from Katara, who then whispered "Strong hands too..."

"They've been through a lot..." Zuko whispered back resting his chin on top of her head. "And all I have to prove it is my own word." The moment he said that, it became clear to Katara what she had to do- what she wanted to do. She pulled away from him with a quivering breath. Placing both hands on his shoulders, she looked him straight in the eyes and held the gaze for what seemed like hours. She leaned toward him, all the while thinking that this was crazy. "You know we shouldn't do this...?"

Her face hovered by his for a moment, their eyes staring at each other. "I... I don't think I care." A smile played at the corner of his lips as he took her face in his hands and guided her lips to his. The kiss lingered a few seconds longer than they had planned, but they both enjoyed it. Katara pulled away first and stared at him, lips still parted. She brought her fingertips to her lips in disbelief. How could she have just kissed him?

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have... that wasn't-" Zuko stuttered.

"That's why you scare me," Katara said in a hushed voice, her eyes wide. "You make me feel things... bad things. Things I know I shouldn't feel. And I hate myself... but..." her voice trailed off as she inched towards him again. "I like it," she finished before kissing his lips again. This time there was more than just a kiss; there were hands. His hands pressed against her back, gently holding her in place, but not pushing too hard. Her hands cupped his face, fingers caressing his scar lightly. "Zuko?" she whispered, pulling away from him.

"Hm?"

A smile crossed her face quietly. "I'm not scared any more."

"Glad I could help," he replied, smiling himself.

"Me too."

_**So what did my peeps think of this one? Holy crap, I've had this on my computer for two months! AHHH! Why! Why must school start this month? Why must I be so lazy and not update like a rabid hyena? Ah! Not cool. At all.**_

_**Wellz, review and junk. IF YOU ARE READING RITML**_


	9. Something Bout Love

**Somethin Bout Love**

Another sleepless night. He lie on his bed staring out the window. He watched the stars make their way across the sky silently, and when the moon came into view, he thought of her. He closed his eyes briefly; fiery yellow eyes narrowed, icy blue ones widened. That was all he could bare to see before he snapped his own eyes open. Every time he closed his eyes he relived that moment. It refreshed the guilt... the feeling that it was his fault that she was in danger. He blamed himself. Then he rested his hand over the scar on his chest and swore he would take lightening for her a thousand more times. And as long as she was safe, he would be happy.

There was something about the way he felt toward her that made his heart ache when he thought about her. When he was around her, he felt like he could do anything. But when he watched her with Aang, he was torn to pieces. But through all of it... he still believed that she was special. And even if he didn't know exactly why, he knew that he needed her. Right now.

It was storming. Snow and hail were pelting down from the skies violently. She sat alone in her hut, wanting dawn to come. She hated the snow now, she hated the night too. It always seemed like at night, there were things waiting just outside the seal-skin tent flap for her. "Someday," she murmured, her ten year old voice shaking with cold. "The love of my life will come and keep me warm. He'll take me away from this place. And I'll never be cold again."

A quiet knock on her door woke her from her dreams. Sighing softly, she made her way across the room and opened the door. _Him_? She asked herself mentally. "Is everything alright?" She asked, voice low and groggy

"I... I'm sorry I bothered you... I don't even know why I..." He started, avoiding eye contact.

"Come in. I'll give you a healing session. La knows you need one." She opened the door and motioned for him to enter. He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. Katara closed the door behind him, making the room go black. "Could you... ya know, give me a light?" she asked quietly. Zuko lit a small flame in his hand and held it up by her face. Almost ashamed with herself, Katara admitted silently that she welcomed the warmth of the small flame near her. _ And I'll never be cold again... _

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked. "You've been staring at my hand for a minute now..."

"Oh..." she said, embarrassed. "Y-you can uh, just sit on the bed. I'll be right there." While the firebender made his way over to the bed, Katara rubbed her hands over her face. "It was just a dream." She whispered. "It didn't mean anything..." With a long, slow breath, she turned to face him. Sitting in front of him on the red silk sheets, she covered her hands with two thin water gloves and pressed them to his stomach. She heard him draw in a sharp breath as her hands made contact with his skin. "Sorry..." the word fell from her lips as a force of habit. "So, what where you thinking about this time that you couldn't sleep?"

His eyes met hers sharply. "I never said I couldn't sleep," he said curtly.

"Well," Katara said, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I guess I just know you too well." She pressed her fingertips into his skin, making him cringe. "Oh, shush up. It's not that bad."

Zuko looked away from her. He hated it when he was weak... especially around her. "I'm just not used to your 'healing sessions'."

"How's Mai?" Katara asked hesitantly, her eyes narrowing.

"Uh, fine, I guess. But, I don't think our relationship is... lets put it this way... I'll need more of your sessions after I talk to her."

"Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking... what happened?"

"I don't know. Things just aren't the same anymore. I mean I feel like I'm closer to you than I am to her..." wow... did he really just say that?

"Oh..." was all she could manage to say. Her hands pulled away from him, almost ashamed. They stood up awkwardly. The flame in Zuko's hand fizzled out to smoke and they were left in the dark, staring at each other. She could feel his eyes on her, even in the dark. Katara rested her fingertips on his stomach again, lightly. "You know you didn't have to do that, right?"

"Yes," he whispered, placing his hand over her's. "I did. And I would do it a thousand times over." She stared at him through the darkness. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his chest. She held onto him for dear life, and he held her back. "It'll be alright," he whispered.

As he said that, his warm breath on her face, he was breaking her heart. "Aang took lightening for the world. The entire world! And you..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "You did it for me. Just for me... one person. Why?"

"I guess there's something about love..." Katara pulled away from him curtly, her face a mixture of confusion and sadness. She shook her head silently, mouthing the word 'no' over and over again.

"Get out of my room," she said, her voice shaking. She marched over to the door and held it open for him. Light from the candles flickering into the hallway poured into her room, casting long, wavering shadows over the boy's face. He came toward her. Resting his palm on the door, he stood before her, looking into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned toward her, the warmth coming from his body (as much as she hated to admit it) was really inviting. She looked at his lips briefly, then toward her own. Her eyes lazily drifted shut, bracing herself for what was about to happen. Her breath was held in her throat, his breath danced across her face. Then, he jerked away from her forcefully. He wouldn't allow himself to do this. Not to her.

"Goodnight..." he said, his voice barely audible.

Katara shut the door behind him, slamming a hand across her lips. Why had she been anticipating... What was she expecting from him? Why did she almost like it? "He said 'Love'," she thought aloud. "'_Love_'?"

_**Fun, huh? Hehe! Sorry I was watching pop ups and in the second eppie, it says that they were planned to be together... dude, its pure epicness... See, I always go with the original idea. Zutara...you don't need medicine to get better... god...that kinda junk. Yeah, original is always best! :D**_

_**~She Poe.**_


	10. I Do Not Hook Up

_I love ember island... maybe a little too much... its the PERFECT zutara setting for a lot o shit! So here's another ff, taking place in my fave zutara place! Wo0t!_

**I Do Not Hook Up**

She was drunk. And he was just as bad; the bottle of wine resting in the palm of his hand. They were alone in the house on Ember Island, the others all taking a fly on Appa... just to see if there was any possible threat. She was always up for a little fun, and when she found the ancient bottle stowed away in one of the kitchen cupboards she knew she had found her fun. There was just something dark about being drunk that she had secretly always wanted to experience. Wrapping her fingers around the bottle, she pulled it out of his hand and raised it to her own lips. "We'd better crash..." she said, sitting the bottle on the end table. He looked up at her, eyes red and tired. "Come on!" She grasped his hand and pulled him off the couch, giggling. She dragged him down the hallway, stopping occasionally to look at pictures on the wall. "So, that's your family?" She asked, looking at an old family portrait.

"Yeah," he answered.

"They look normal. Well all except for that one..." she pointed to a small boy kneeling in front of his mother. "He doesn't look... right."

"I think that's me."

"You sure... he doesn't have the... the...thinggy...the.. this!" Her hand found its way to the left side of his face. "I thought you didn't like it when people touched your face..." Katara slurred, looking up at him.

"Not them...I like it when _you_ touch my face," he whispered, partly to himself.

"Hmmmm..." She pursed her lips, deep in thought. Her eyes scanned over him quickly, then, she stood on her toes and kissed his lips. Before he could kiss her back, her lips were gone, but he quickly found them again, crashing his mouth onto her's violently. He felt her arms around his neck, and snaked his own around her waist. She pulled away from him softly, resting her head on his chest. Suddenly she jerked away from him. "You kissed me!" she shrieked, slapping him sharply. "Jerk! You got me drunk and kissed me! I don't like you."

"But... but...you... and then you... but I just... and you... _you_ kissed _me_!" He spluttered drunkenly, reaching his hand up to his stinging face.

"Yeah, but, you kissed me back... that wasn't my fault!" Her eyes narrowed angrily.

"You liked it."

"...So?"

**Hehe! I love drunken!zutara. They are so much fun to write. :D**

**~She-Poe**


	11. Bulletproof Revenge

Bulletproof Revenge

(School Boy Humor)

He hated her. With every part of him... he hated her. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't want to just squeeze the life right out of her, to hear her scream her final words. She was so aggravating. Even the looks she gave made him hate her. The way her eyes looked so soft, but they made him feel icy cold. When she touched him- no matter how gently, even the lightest accidental brush of hands- his chest burned in anguish. It was like she lived to give him this feeling.

When they sparred, he would always have to restrain himself from pressing onto her chest until she couldn't breathe. He wanted her dead. He had admitted it to himself half a dozen times, and to her once during their most heated argument.

But the one thing he couldn't admit to, was exactly why he hated her so much. It puzzled even him. He would sit for hours, trying to figure out why she made him feel such extreme emotions. Then one day, it hit him; he hated her because she made him feel love. He hated her because she made him feel scared. He hated her because deep down, he knew that the only thing he ever wanted to hear her scream was "Dammit, this corset is killing me!" If she were dead, he wouldn't have this problem... these delusions... this forbidden lust that he knew she would not return.

Hell, she didn't even trust him! How could she love him?

And that is why he must hate her.

_**I heart School Boy Humor! :D They are amazing and this song will grow on you no matter how disturbing it sounds... I swear.**_

_**~She Poe**_


	12. Fall for You

**Fall for You**

She never expected to be here; in the Firenation. If someone would have told her a year ago that she would be assisting the Avatar, she would have laughed at them. If a month ago, someone would have told her that she would be sleeping under the same roof as Zuko... Prince Zuko... you know, the crazy boy that had chased them all around the world?... she would have laughed even harder. But, if someone would have told her that she would be awake in the middle of the night, fighting back tears and staring at the sky, alone on an empty dock, well that wasn't so hard to believe.

Katara skimmed her toes across the surface of the water as she looked out to the horizon. Her mind was completely blank. The day before she had done the one thing that she had wanted to do for six long years, and now, what did she have? For so long she had always looked toward the satisfaction of seeing the man who killed her mother. She had wanted to see his eyes, to learn why he did what he did. Now that she knew, she seemed lost. She couldn't continue being angry at a man that she did not know, and yet, she could not find it in herself to forgive him for the things that he had done to her and her family. That anger had kept her going for almost half of her life, it had been her drive, the thing that made her persist, and now, was added to the list of things that Zuko had taken away from her.

Stupid Zuko. Why did he have to join the group? Why did he have to gain her trust? Now, because of him, everything was upside down and fuzzy. It wasn't fair, she thought. She should be happy, right? Then why the hell did she feel so damned confused!

She had been so consumed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear someone coming up behind her, nor did she remember standing, until she felt someone brush their fingertips over her shoulder. Katara tilted her head to the side to see who was awake at such an hour. _ Of course, _her mind seemed to sigh_. Zuko. _She didn't bother to ask why he was here, or how he knew that she needed someone, she simply wrapped her arms around him snugly, and hugged him. It wasn't a romantic hug at all, no, simply two friends, being there for one another.

He took her face in his hands as she pulled away from him. He just wanted to look at her. He wanted to see the pain behind her eyes and make it stop. The backs of his own eyes started to burn, and before he knew it, he himself was blinking back tears. His hands fell away from her face clumsily, his eyes looked out over the ocean, up to the sky, anywhere but into hers'.

Suddenly, he felt a hand against his chest, and another on his cheek, and then the girl in front of him was kissing the corner of his lips lightly. Her face lingered near his for a few moments, waiting for him, or perhaps herself, to continue. But then, seeing that neither she nor apparently he had the audacity to press any further, she backed away silently, her eyes cast down. He could see bright red spread over her face. She must have felt like a fool. But, honestly, he felt that he was the greater fool of the two.

Though he couldn't bring himself to kiss her lips, he pulled her to his chest warmly, and kissed the top of her head. He wasn't used to this kind of affection, especially from Katara, but he welcomed it. Their embrace was clumsy and awkward, and felt just as strange. She wasn't used to hugging someone so tall, so warm. And he wasn't used to hugging someone who wanted nothing more than a hug... he wasn't used to her innocence.

She didn't cry that night. And he didn't leave her side. They sat with each other in silence, the sound of crashing waves and each other's breathing all that was heard.

He fell for her that night. Not because she had kissed him, and not because he had hugged her. No, he fell for her because the way she looked at him pulled at something deep within him. But as much as he wanted to hold her and kiss her, just being with her was enough to give him that feeling. And he loved it.


	13. Forever

**Forever**

**(Faber Drive)**

_The Night of Zuko's Coronation_

People crowded the palace. The lights and music were dizzying. There was dancing and laughing and flirting and everything else that the average teenager would love. That evening he'd had several-admittedly attractive-young ladies had asked to dance with him. As a formality, he accepted, took their hands and spun them around a few times before bowing and excusing himself, leaving them smiling and giggling to their friends who'd dared them to dance with the new Firelord. For a few hours that night, he envied the people he'd come to call his friends; they were in the back of the crowd, all huddled together, virtually unnoticed by everyone else. It had taken Zuko nearly twenty minutes to fight his way to them.

"Well look who decided to join the party!" Toph said, one hand pointed in Zuko's direction and the other holding a warm cup of tea. "Thought you were getting a little too popular for us, didja, Sparkey?" She tossed the bangs away from her milky green eyes.

"Actually, I was on my way out. Dancing and yeah... not for me."

"Hey," Aang chirped in. "Maybe you'll catch Katara. She just went out to get some air."

Zuko nodded and ducked out the door behind the group of kids. He'd missed the warm Firenation nights with the street lights lit up and the sky clear and wide. His mind flashed back to the evening he'd spent with that girl in Ba Sing Se; how he'd lit the lamps for her, how she'd kissed him, and how he'd pulled away in shock never knowing just why. Now as he looked around he saw the stars shining brightly above him and heard the party-goers inside having a grand time. Funny, none of them probably knew he was missing. Then his eyes fell upon a figure sitting quietly on one of the marble steps leading up to the palace gates. The moon shone off of her bare shoulders and her long dark hair curled down her back. Her hands were curled into fists on her forehead. For a reason unknown to even himself, Zuko found himself smiling as he walked toward her.

"Hey," he said taking a seat beside her.

"What are you doing here?" Katara's voice came sharp.

"Well its nice to see you too," Zuko retorted sarcastically.

Katara's eyes shot up to his apologetically. "I'm sorry. I mean... shouldn't you be inside... Mr. Firelord for whom this party was thrown?"

Zuko laughed inwardly, looking up to the stars then down to the white marble of the stairs, and finally came to meet her eyes. "I don't party too well." He heard a quiet "Ah..." in response. "What's your excuse?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

This simple statement threw him aback. How could she be leaving tomorrow? They had only just arrived! The thought of he departure made him want to reach over and hold her to him so she could never leave. _Wait_... he thought after a moment. _Why would I want to do that? _"Oh," was all he could manage to say. Minutes passed in silence as the two sat with each other. With a sigh, Zuko stood up and offered a hand to Katara. "Walk with me?" A shy smile spread over her face as she accepted his hand and stood up beside him.

They walked slowly down the main street of the town. Most nights like this, the streets would be jam packed with people buying food, young couples on dates, and little children looking for their mothers (at least that's how it had been when he was a little kid himself). But tonight it was just him and Katara and the occasional streetvender trying to sell them some grapefruits or some odd panacea. They passed out of the heavily lit streets into a more narrow, winding path, the moon their only light.

"He kissed me," she whispered in their new found solitude. "Today on the balcony." She found his eyes resting on her. "I didn't try to stop him." Suddenly, she grabbed onto his sleeve and stopped walking. "He said he loved me."

Zuko forced a smile. "That's... great."

"I guess." The waterbender's voice came soft, almost sad.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, his voice genuinely concerned. "I thought you loved him." _And that's the only reason that I haven't- _

"I don't know anymore." Her words cut off his thoughts. "I thought I did..." Katara stared at him through the dark, the moon glinting off of her eyes. He remembered the night that they had gone to find her mother's killer; the way her eyes shimmered in anger, the way they darkened when she bent the man to her mercy, how they softened when she forgave him and closed when she hugged him. Now, her eyes bore holes into his own, nearly begging him to do something- anything to help resolve all of these things that were happening to her.

"Will this be the last time I see you?"

"Probably. I'll go home, within the next year I'll be married to some warrior that I haven't seen since I was ten and my life as a housewife will consume me. Just like it does to every water tribe woman. All we're good for is having kids and sewing clothes." Katara sighed, yep, that just about summed up the rest of her life.

"You're so much more than that," he tried to assure her, but she shrunk away from him quickly.

"Maybe here. Now. To you, I'm more than that. But when it comes down to it... I'm just a girl." She raised her voice from a low whisper to an angered shout. "Zuko..." her voiced dropped to a whisper again as she drew nearer to him. "I don't want to marry a stranger. And I don't want to marry Aang." Katara's hands found their way to the fabric over Zuko's chest. "I'm afraid."

Zuko brushed his fingers against her chin, asking her to look at him. "Will you forgive me?"

"For what?" She asked, her eyes wandering around his face.

"I'm so sorry..." He whispered.

"For wh-"

Zuko gripped her shoulders gently and pulled her up to him. He kissed her softly, their lips barely touching. The kiss was innocent, curious; their first kiss. And probably, their only kiss. "If this is really the last time I ever see you... I don't want you to forget that someone will always care about you. I'll always be here for you, from your wedding day, to the birth of your first child, through anything that may trouble you. If you need me, I'm here."

"I need you now." She kissed his lips, just like Jin had done, but this time, he didn't pull away from the girl.

Hands pressed to her back, eyes drifted shut, mouths locked in a forbidden kiss. These elements mixed together, intoxicating them both. Katara felt cold bricks of a building against her shoulder blades and the warmth of Zuko's body surrounding her. She remembered the day she first laid eyes on him; a savage beast coming to take away her hope. He tied her to a tree, dangled her mother's necklace in front of her, whispered in her ear, tugged on her braid, mocked her. The day she nearly killed him at the north pole, but somehow, he overpowered her, and knocked her unconscious flashed through her mind. Betrayal shot through her briefly as she relived the catacombs in Ba Sing Se. Then, she saw him lying on the ground, not moving. Not breathing. "Zuko..." she whispered aloud (Whether the cause was the memory or something else, she could not recall.)

And in the morning, she was gone.

And she did marry the next year; to a warrior that she had known when she was a child.

The marriage was arranged of course, for political reasons.

Who would have thought that a water tribe princess would have to marry the Firelord?

Who would have thought that she would be happy about it?

If it had been two years prior to the wedding date, certainly not her.

I'm BAAAAACK! Hehe! So here's my warm up to get back in the groove of things. I'll update everything ASAP! I promise! Thanks for putting up with me guys! I love you all so frikkin' much! :D

She Poe


	14. Bleed

**Bleed**

**(Hot Chelle Rae)**

Katara,

There's something I have to tell you. I don't know when it happened, and I don't know why it happened. Hell, I don't even know what happened! But I do know that something happened to me. Don't worry, I'm not sick. I'm not hurt or anything like that.

Listen, I know its probably too late for this. And honestly I don't care because I have to get this off my chest. I don't want you to disappear. I didn't want you to leave me. I know that you're with Aang, and I know that you had no idea about the feelings that I have for you, and that's why you need to read this. I'll understand if you don't, though. Its okay if you throw this in the fire and let it burn up. But if you do, you'll never know what I have to say.

The day that I first saw you in the south pole, I didn't even notice you. You were just another thing that was in my way of getting what I wanted. I figured that you'd just fade away like everyone else has. It's not like I'd gone three years without seeing some very attractive women (trust me... they were there), but they had all just been little crushes that went away or the occasional thought gone astray. And then there was you. You were always there. Everywhere I turned you were there with Aang, looking at me like I was some kind of alien. I knew you must have hated me. I hated me. So, for the longest time I tried to avoid you. But then I found your necklace on that prison ship. I didn't know what you'd been through, why you were there, or why I knew that it was your necklace. I never told anyone this but I never let your necklace out of my sight. I kept it tied to my wrist so I wouldn't lose it. I did some research on the exchange of necklaces in the Water Tribes. Marriage? After I found out what it meant, I just kept thinking about you. You had a husband somewhere, but you were out helping the Avatar. I regret using your necklace as leverage everyday. If I had known that it had belonged to your mother, I would not have been nearly as savage. (Though savage was kind of my thing)

I have a question. Why did you offer to help my uncle? That day where we all stood together against Azula in the Earthkingdom? We were your enemy..._I _was your enemy, and yet you offered your healing abilities. I lashed out at you, and for that I'm sorry. I could have burned you (or anyone else for that matter). I know I shouldn't make excuses, but I was so upset that I was crying and upon thinking about it now, I guess the only reason I wanted you to leave was because I didn't want you to see me cry. Yeah... I know... how macho can you get? But, I didn't want you to think less of me. Then, I got sick. And all that would help was the water that Uncle kept giving me. I really don't remember much about my sickness...only that I was really hot and in a lot of pain. But the one thing besides discomfort that I remember was how much that little bit of water helped. Every now and then, in my dreams, you would be there, reaching a hand to me, reminding me of your healing abilities, but when I would reach back to you, you would turn to ash. It was then I realized that I would only ever hurt you. So when the day came that we found ourselves below Ba Sing Se, I wanted to keep my distance. I didn't want to hurt you. But then you said that you'd lost your mother to the Firenation, and I knew all of the pain you were already in. No one should go through that alone. I opened up to you because I didn't want you to be alone (and I suppose because I didn't want to be alone). I thought that maybe if we found some common ground, we could start trusting each other. Maybe even start over and be friends. There's another question that's been bothering me: Why did you want to heal my scar? After everything I'd done to you, you still offered to make me... better. This is going to sound creepy... so brace yourself... You are the only person who has ever touched my face like that. And I didn't let you do it because I wanted to be rid of it. I did it because something changed in that cave. I didn't fall in love with you. No, not quite love. Maybe friendship. You were the first person I had considered a friend in years. And I couldn't have screwed it up worse. I'm truly sorry. I know I hurt you that night. You might have forgiven me, but I haven't.

I understand why you rejected me when I asked to join the group. I would have done the same thing. The first night I spent at camp after you and the rest of the group had finally caved in, I didn't sleep. It wasn't because you had threatened my life. No... that wasn't it at all. I was thinking about Uncle and how much I had betrayed him. I couldn't believe that I was sleeping under the same roof as the Avatar... the person that I'd been searching for for the past three years of my life. I couldn't believe that the girl that I once-no matter how briefly-had considered a friend... the same girl that I broke and beat and ultimately let down. Do you know how many times that night I had thought about walking down the hall, waking you up and crying? I'm not kidding... I wanted to cry and apologize and prove to you that I would never hurt you again. But my first priority was helping the Avatar. Anything I had to say to you would have to wait.

The day that Azula attacked the Western Air Temple, to me anyway, was a breaking point. When I saw that ceiling crumbling above you, I don't know what exactly took over me, only that I couldn't let you die. I admit now that my method of getting you out of the way was probably a little on the awkward side... with me landing on top of you and all... but at least it was effective. Later that night, when we had settled around the campfire, and you stormed off, I knew it was because of me and I knew I had to follow you. I'll never forget your words that night. "Oh, I know... you could bring my mother back."

It was true. You know. What I told you the next morning. I had waited outside for you all night. It was stupid, but necessary. You hated me for what I had done. I could plainly see that. But when I told you that I could help, your eyes lit up. I miss your eyes. They always knew how to make me smile, even if they, themselves, were teary. Nevertheless, I do have a point to this long letter, one I am getting to shortly.

I must admit, I didn't think you would defy Aang the way you did. I was surprised, excited, proud even, that you would stand up for yourself. Aang may be like my little brother, but he was really controlling over you... I know how much he tried to change you. (Right now you're probably covering your mouth thinking 'How could he say that?' But its true. I saw it with my own eyes.) I was genuinely thrilled when we took off on Appa that night. You were mine to comfort, to listen to, to be there for. And that's really all I wanted for us. But then I saw you bend that man's blood. I had seen you cry before that night, but never quite like that. You wouldn't look at me, (I know you remember this, and don't pretend you don't) but I wouldn't let you be alone. You fought against me, smacking me with closed fists. Finally, you gave in and let me hold you. I'd never really comforted a girl like that before, but it felt right. You were asleep before too long, and that's when I admitted it to myself; I looked at you asleep on my chest and whispered "I love you."

I suppose that's the reason I'm writing. To say that I love you. I could never bring myself to say it out loud again other than that night. Well, I had thought about it. The next night when we were at that stupid play. During the intermission when you and Aang were having your little love-fest on the balcony. That's when I was going to tell you, but I saw him kiss you. And I knew that if it was me or the Avatar, you would have picked him.

And by what I saw of you two on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon, I guess you did. There's a reason I put this letter in your bag instead of handing it to you. You would find it in your own time, when you got home and settled in, and maybe reply. I'm sorry it had to be this way.

With love,

Zuko

To this letter, he received this reply:

Zuko,

I wasn't asleep. I was awake enough to hear you.

That night with Aang on the balcony, I told him no. that I was confused and I didn't know why. It was the first time I'd ever lied to him for my own benefit.

I was going to tell you that I loved you the day of your corination. But when I walked into your room to talk to you, Mai was there. You kissed her, Zuko. Do you know what that did to my heart? It was like Ba Sing Se all over again. But worse.

I love you too. I love you. I love you. I love you.

But my father has already made a deal with Aang that when I turn sixteen, I will marry him. I'm going to show my father your letter. Try to plead my case for backing out of this... arranged marriage. He will undersand. I promise.

Love (Never thought I'd get to write that)

Katara


	15. Breakdown

**Breakdown**

**(Daughtry)**

"_Do you_ _know why_ I cried in those caves, Zuko? Do you?" Katara found herself yelling. Again. This time, he'd pushed her to the edge, had her teetering on a precipice that-if she were to fall-would end up killing her.

"Your mother-"

Her toes were hanging off of the edge now. She would fall any second, plummet to her death. She always knew it would be him. That killed her, that is. "No. That's not it at all."

"But-"

One foot hung in mid air. Knees buckled. Her body lurched forward sickeningly. And suddenly... she was in a freefall. Her skin was aware of every molecule of air that brushed against it. "I cried because I thought I could trust you! I've never cried for my mother! Not once! I wanted to! For so long, I wanted to but I couldn't! Then you come along and _you make me feel like its okay_! You made me feel that I could cry and you wouldn't judge my tears like I knew everyone else would! I cried because I thought _that_ I felt comfortable enough to do so around you. I cried because...I-_I wanted you_ to help me."

"Katara?" His voice was soft. All anger had left. There was only sadness now. His voice was like ice water on her skin. Making it prickle. Making cold, stifled shivers run along her arms.

"And then... after I poured my heart and soul out _to_ you... you chose her! You _have_ no clue what it took for me to tell you how much I _loved_ my mother! You have no clue how broken I was when I saw your eyes... you have no idea how much I wanted to help you! How much I was willing to help you! Do you know what I went through the next few days? I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat."

"Katara!"

"No! Don't 'Katara!' me! You hurt me! I think to myself all the time... what if? What if I hadn't walked away from you? Would you have turned on me? What if I'd been able to heal you? Would you have betrayed me anyway? Would you have hated _me too_?"

"Katara! Shut up! You weren't the only one that got hurt that day!"

Her eyes shot up to him angrily.

"I told you everything about my mother. I told you how_ I_ got my scar. I told you everything. You... you touched my face. No one had done that before. You gave me hope. I thought, maybe we could be..." he stopped for a millisecond and started again. "I'm not going to lie to you. I _loved_ the way your hand felt on my face. It made me feel human. _You_ make me feel human."

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

"No! You need to listen to me. You ran away from me. When Aang and my uncle came. You left me. Do you know how abandoned I felt?"

"You felt abandoned? Ha, yeah... right-"

"Shut. Up. I thought that you were different than everyone else. Until that moment. I thought you would be the girl that could change things for me. But you left, just like all the others. So I did what I did because I thought... if there's nothing different ahead, why go there? I just want to go home!" Something broke in him then.

She'd never seen him cry before.

"I want to go home! I want my mom! I want my dad to love me again! All I want is to fix everything and go home! What don't you understand about that?"

"I...Zuko?" Insticts took over. She reached out to touch him, but he pulled away from her. His hands covered his face. He wiped away tears, took a deep breath. Calmed himself. "I'm... I'm sorry."

She was staring at him. Like he was a wild animal. He shouldn't have broken down like that. She shouldn't have seen him. "Don't look at me like that. I'm a person. People cry."

"You don't." She said simply.

"Because I've never felt comfortable to before."

"Don't play that card."

"Its not a card."

"Don't cry again."

"Why?"

"Just don't." She should tell him. Right now. 'I don't like it when you cry.' But she won't.

**O**._o_.**O.**_o_.**O**._o_.**O**._o_.**O**._o_

**O.o (as if the above wasn't enough) So, whaddya think? Fun little drabble. Over used setting and metaphor. I know. But I'm a sucker for classics. Lol. Please review. If you don't... I'll send my minions*. Ah, if you didn't catch on... reread the Italics. :) Just do. It'll be fun. I promise.**

**~She Poe**

***Mona Lisa, WalMart Hobo, Tommy Pickles, and the Poe Toaster (Who has come out of hiding just to be a minion of mine)**


	16. Kiss Me

_Ugh... another one set on Ember Island. Why is this my favorite location for Zutara? Gerr! Must... find..another...location... XP_

**Kiss Me**

**(New Found Glory)**

She didn't feel that way. She had never felt that way. Why would he even think that she had? What Aang had done to her earlier that night, during the play, had been uncalled for. The cold feeling of his lips suddenly on her's had nearly disgusted her. Sure, he was a sweet boy, probably just confused, but he was twelve! He couldn't possibly know what he had done to her heart, to her head. How confused he'd made her. She was sure that she hadn't tried to send him any wrong signals; nothing that would signify any more than a sibling like bond between the two.

Now here she was, sitting by herself on the veranda near the training area, unable to sleep. The stars above her seemed to swirl. Cupping her hands over her eyes, Katara sighed a sigh of near hopelessness. She had saved lives, endangered others and nearly lost her own over the past few months, and she was having trouble with boys? It made no sense to her. How could this, of all things, be stressing her out so much?

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Aang looked quietly out the window at Katara. She was mad at him, he knew that, and he wasn't about to make her more angry. He never like the emotion of anger, though he did admit it was easy to slip into, it always made him feel wrong. What didn't he like about anger? Well, maybe it was the way it made your heart beat really fast, or maybe it was the way that your face got all red, or maybe because from anger comes hatred. That was it. He didn't want Katara to hate him. And he knew that if he went out there and talked to her now, she would.

Silently, the Airbender made his way down the hall toward Zuko's room. Even though-because of the play-he was holding a slight animosity toward the Fireprince, he really wanted everyone to just get along. Aang knew that Katara wouldn't open up to Suki, or Toph, or even Sokka... that just wasn't who she was. She didn't vent her problems to other people. But maybe in their new-found friendship, Katara would speak to Zuko.

It was due to that reasoning that Aang found himself knocking on Zuko's door. When the oldest member of their group opened his bedroom door, he towered over Aang, almost forcing the Avatar to rethink his decision. "What's wrong, Aang?" Zuko asked, rubbing his good eye with the back of his hand.

"Its Katar-" Aang started, but was cut short by Zuko's worried voice.

"Is she okay?" Suddenly he was awake... wide awake in fact. He'd just become friends with Katara, just earned her forgiveness. If something was wrong with her, he didn't want to be the last one to help her. "Where is she?"

Aang shrunk away from him the slightest bit. "She's on the porch. I think at the play I hurt her-"

Before he knew what was happening, Aang felt Zuko's firm grip on his shoulders. "What did you do to her? I swear, Avatar, if you did anything to her I'll-" No, he couldn't freak like this. He'd just gotten here. He couldn't disprove his loyalty now. With that in mind, he released the Avatar, and headed for the veranda. When he came upon her, she was sitting slouched with her hands draped over the back of her head and her knees drawn up to her chest. She was wearing her night dress, which he had never seen her in before... he didn't even know she had one. But then again, what kind of a thought was that? Of course she had a night dress, what young lady wouldn't?

Wordlessly, Zuko took a seat beside her. He cleared his throat gently, and Katara lifted her head. Her eyes traced his profile quickly, looking at the way the moon left shadows across his skin, before she buried her face in her arms again. "It might help," Zuko started, his voice soft and still groggy. "If you talk about it." She mumbled something inaudibly into her arms. "Hm?"

Katara sat up with a sigh, the moon catching something shimmery in her eyes. "That was a stupid play," was all she could manage to say before she had to look away again.

"You and I both know that Aang's not going to lose. He's been working at this for a long time now and-"

"No. That's not it." For some reason those words escaped her lips with a chuckle. "The scene. In the caves," she said, answering Zuko's unasked question. Katara's eyes were fixed on the boy sitting next to her. He looked genuinely nervous right now. His mind must be replaying all of those things that their characters had said to each other. He opened his mouth to speak, but Katara cut him off. "I told him no, Zuko."

Zuko flinched. What had that little pervert done?

"He kissed me. After I told him I was confused. Now I don't know what to do." Katara gripped the marble stair so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She couldn't look at him. She wouldn't. Zuko covered her hand with his own lightly, trying to bridge the gap between them, trying to show he was still there for her. Katara's eyes darted to their hands in disbelief, then up to his eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"It's...it's going to be okay," Zuko assured her quietly, his grip tightening on her hand slightly. He looked away from her for a moment, wondering what he should say next. "My mother used to tell me that if I followed my heart, everything would be alright in the end. And it will."

"You don't know that," Katara whispered back, turning toward him. She wiped her free hand under her eye as if to clean away an tear that had not yet fallen. "What if I screw up? What if I choose wrong?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do!" Her voice came sharp. Now tears were slipping from her blue eyes, spilling out down her cheeks, leaving long, silvery trails in the moonlight.

Ignoring her question, Zuko reached his free hand up to her cheek and gently brushed some of her tears away. "No," he whispered slowly, almost inaudibly. "Don't cry." She stared at him with wonder in her eyes. The tips of his fingers trailed down her cheek and across the skin of her neck. He'd meant for the action to calm her, but he'd felt her tense when his hand made contact with her skin, he'd seen her mouth open silently. "Sh..."

Katara let her head fall onto his shoulder, muttering that he didn't know, that he would never know. She allowed Zuko to comfort her, whispering things to her and touching her arm every now and then. "What were you confused about?" Zuko dared to ask after a long silence between the two.

"What?" Katara asked, lifting her head from his shoulder. "Oh. I- I don't know." She pulled away from him quickly as if any contact with him whatsoever would give away the secret she was hiding. But just as quickly as she leaned away, he came back to her, hand on shoulder.

"I know what it's like to keep something bottled up. Just say it. I won't judge you... I don't have the right."

He didn't understand, she scoffed mentally. For a moment, she wondered if he'd ever had a crush that wouldn't go away, but at the same time hurt to have. "I can't tell you."

"Could you tell Aang?"

"No!" She interjected quickly, and a little louder than anticipated.

"Then talk to me!" Zuko pleaded softly.

"They think we're a couple! And that play... they pulled out every little detail and amplified it and I don't know where they got that you and I were attracted to each other but even though everything was way out of proportion, it all had some truth behind it! So where does that leave us!" Katara looked at him, nearly screaming for an answer, and if he had one, he would have given it to her.

"I don't know..."

"I-I don't know why but I can't forget about it and I know I shouldn't feel this way but what if what they showed on stage was real? What if I can't live without you? What if I really do love you?"

"Then I'll be here for you," Zuko replied in a small whisper. His eyes met her's shyly. "What if I loved you back?"

Katara dropped her head into her hands and took a shuddering breath. "I _am so_ confused!" she cried. Then, suddenly she sat up straight, hesitantly saying what she said next. "Kiss me." She saw Zuko's puzzled expression as she looked up at him. "Its the only way we'll know. Please. I don't want to feel like this anymore."

Slowly, Katara twisted her body, raised a hand and placed it hesitantly on Zuko's chest. Don't do this! Her mind screamed. But something about his warm skin felt right against her hand, she couldn't explain it... but there was something there. Her fingertips felt the blood coursing through his veins; her nerves picked up his heartbeat-or was that her own?-beating furiously through his body. Carefully, he raised his hand and rested it against her neck, thumb just under her right ear. As he drew nearer to her, she felt her fingers slip into a fist on his chest. His breath was ragged on her nose. She saw his eyes for a split second before closing her own. Waiting. His lips were soft. Warm. Welcoming, inviting. Addicting. Katara breathed out through her nose as she uncurled her fingers onto his chest. She smiled lightly against his lips, interrupting their kiss for less than a moment. Her head was spinning. She wasn't breathing. Zuko drew away from her first, inhaling deeply. She did the same. He kissed her again, slowly, eyes closed. Her fingers laced together behind his neck, her elbows rested on his shoulders. What started as a little experiment turned into something more. He lightly brushed the tip of his tongue against her bottom lip, unsure how she would respond. She decided to play along, allowing the kiss to go wherever it went, not forcing it to go placed it didn't. She never knew that kissing would feel like this-how could she have known what to expect? It was an odd sensation at first, knowing that the person who was giving her these feelings had once hurt her to the point of tears, and sleepless nights. Suddenly, she wished she hadn't thought about that memory; she felt herself pulling away from him, almost as if her body was telling her _no, no, he hurt you, you can't let him do this. He can't be the one. _But every ounce of her wanted it to be that way.

"What's wrong?" He asked in the absence of her lips.

"I don't know," she answered back. _Nothing_. "Everything. You, me. We-" _need to be together_. "Can't do this. We have responsibilies. We can't fall into each other like this. Especially not now. Before the comet." _I don't want to lose you_. "I don't- I don't want to compromise our battle mentality."

Zuko sighed sadly. "I understand." _But you're wrong. _"We're in the middle of a war. There's more important things to worry about."

She'd said those exact same words, but only now did she realize just how much they could hurt. _ What's more important than this? _"Yeah. But..." _we can have just one night._

"No. I don't want you to get hurt..." _If I die. _

"You won't hurt me. I promise."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.

Aang watched them from the window. What they were doing... he didn't approve. He would never approve. But look how happy she was! And he wouldn't ruin that. No matter how bad it hurt.

**Voi la! And I work the title in in only...17 chapters ALRIGHT!  
**

**~She Poe**


	17. Love the Way You Lie

**Love the Way You Lie**

**(Eminem ft. Rihanna)**

Katara laid him down on the bed gently. His chest burned, his mouth was dry. He could hear his sister, or at least the girl that was once his sister, sobbing manically through the locked Palace doors. He couldn't breathe. Katara moved to open her waterskin quickly. Zuko's hand grasped her wrist tightly, his mouth opened, trying to breathe. She saw fear spark through his eyes and dropped beside him on the bed, hands glowing. Her fingers pressed into his skin lightly. He cringed at the sensation, and ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. Finally, he took a deep breath-with minimal pain- and shot her a thankful glance.

"Does it hurt anywhere else?" She asked, her voice stiff and business-like.

"Are you okay?" He asked hoarsely in return. Suddenly pain shot through his chest again. He whimpered, then hated himself for doing so.

"I can heal you more," she started, readying her hands with a thick coating of water. As she reached for his chest, she felt her wrist being grabbed again.

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked again, his eyes staring weakly into hers.

Katara couldn't look away from him. Concern shone in his eyes brighter than the ever-present pain that she had known to be there since she met him. She'd first noticed the pain in his eyes when he whispered those words to her; "I'll save you from the pirates." At first, her eyes had been drawn to the ugly red mark around his eye, but after the initial shock of her supposed saviour's identity, she looked in his eyes, and only in his eyes. She saw them soften almost imperceptibly, the moon glinting off of his irises suddenly. In that moment, she saw the real prince Zuko. The boy behind the scar. The boy that-though she hated to admit it-she was glad had found her. "I'm fine." Katara finally whispered, blinking back tears. She watched his eyelids flutter shut and watched his chest rise and fall as she worked on him. He was hurt...badly. And she knew that it was her fault. If she hadn't trusted him, he wouldn't have betrayed her; if he hadn't betrayed her, he wouldn't have tried so hard to win her over; if he hadn't won her over, she wouldn't have come with him; if she wouldn't have come with him, then he wouldn't have thrown himself in front of lightening for her; if he wouldn't have thrown himself in front of lightening for her, she would be dead.

He breathed in. He breathed out. In. Out. He knew that's all he could do for her right now; take long, slow breaths, and let her do her work. Never in his life did Zuko think he would ache for silence. But now, lying on his old bed, his sister's faint cries ringing in his ears, he longed for it. He had to do something to make that sound go away. He couldn't stand it. "I love you," he said to fill the space.

"What?" Katara asked, disbelieving her ears.

"I love you, Katara."

Katara sighed. The product of fever, delusions. "You need to rest, don't talk anymore," she said, and kissed his forehead. She healed him periodically through his sleep, her fingers lingering on his skin. After the first few hours, she stripped off his shirt and bandaged his chest carefully. She settled down beside him as fatigue began to set in. The sound of his breath lulled her to sleep.

She woke up to a bang, only a few hours later. Her eyes flew open and found the spot on the bed next to her empty. Panic set in as she crawled over to the edge of the bed and found Zuko lying on his back, face twisted in pain. "What do you think you're doing?" She scolded, kneeling next to him. His eyes opened, bloodshot and tired.

"I tried to get up, but I guess it didn't work." His hand clutched his lower chest as he tried to sit up.

"No! Just stop! You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Don't chastise me!"

"You need to let your body heal!"

"You know that I'm an impatient ass," he spat. A giggle found its way past Katara's lips. "What?"

"I love it when you lie."

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**How's that for a post-epic-Zutara-battle-finale-scene-fic? I liked it anyway. The ending wasn't what I wanted, but eh, its alright, I suppose. **

**~She Poe**


	18. Forget You

Forget You

(Phone Calls From Home)

He never told her. Not once. Even when they talked about it all he said was, "So you've heard?"

He was stupid. Impatient, irrational, bull-headed, ignorant, and so utterly stupid. For God's sake, he was seventeen years old! He had to be confused, mistaken even. He was going to get hurt. Again. And she knew that.

She'd loved him. Since the first day they met, she'd secretly had feelings for him, though she'd never admit it. The day that she found out, he'd been the last thing on her mind, and suddenly, with just a few short words, her world was nothing short of torn apart. If she hadn't been among friends, she would have cried. And then, she'd had to do the hardest thing imaginable. She heard his voice for the first time in months, looked at his face.

"So, you heard?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah-" She said, faking a grin.

"So?"

"That's great!" She lied.

"I know! Hey, I gotta go."

And he was gone.

For so long, she'd thought that maybe, just maybe, a miracle would happen and he would fall in love with her. She'd held on to that one sliver of hope that someday, they'd be together.

But now, all of that hope was gone.

She'd had her chance a year ago, and she'd blown it.

He was getting married.

And she hated it.

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**WHAT! I'M...BACK! Heheheheheehehe! Yes, that I am! :D**

**~ShePoe**


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